Excerpt: " 'They were worse on all the tests we looked at," said Dr. Robert Stern, lead author and a professor of neurology and neurosurgery.' They had problems learning and remembering lists of words. They had problems with being flexible in their decision-making and problem-solving."The authors concluded that incurring repeated head impacts in football between the ages of 10 and 12, a critical and sensitive window for brain development, may increase the risk of later-life cognitive impairment. During those early years, the brain is rapidly building connections between neurons."